The present invention relates to endoscopic systems and methods and more particularly to an improved system and method for providing a three-dimensional (3-D) image of the anatomy of a mammal.
While the disclosed system and method has great importance in providing 3-D images of the anatomy of a human, the method and system can also be employed to obtain 3-D images of the anatomy of other mammals, such as dogs, cats, horses, fish-like mammals and the like.
Currently in the medical profession there are significant numbers of surgical procedures which involve the use of microsurgical instruments and imaging systems. These allow procedures to be performed via trocars avoiding the need for open surgery, such as laproscopic cholecystectomy, etc.
A significant problem associated with this type of procedure is the limited ability to visualize or see the anatomy which is being traversed by the instrumentation. There is also the problem of obtaining views of the anatomy at the surgical site which are clear and meaningful, in the light of the procedure being attempted. Hence, the number of surgeons attempting these new procedures are limited as are the number of anatomic sites where they are presently employed.
Generally an imaging system consisting of an optics head disposed in a trocar which is inserted through an incision in the wall of a body cavity. This allows a view of the anatomy to be observed by the surgeon, dependent on the field of view of the optics. The image from the optics head can be relayed via a coherent fiber optic bundle, or a solid state imager at the image plane. The resulting image can be displayed to the surgeon via an eyepiece, such as a set of goggles, or on a CRT monitor which can be located close by.
Under current technology the view the surgeon sees is that provided by the optics head which has some limitations, for example,
VIEWPOINT--Frequently, instruments are placed through the same trocar as is the optics head yielding a view of the anatomy which is partially blocked by the instruments. It should be noted that the viewpoint determines the anatomy observed by the surgeon. If the field of view is small there are fewer landmarks to recognize the general location of the instrument and optical head within the anatomy. If the field of view is large then detail is lost.
DEPTH PERCEPTION--As the instruments in the same trocar as the optics head are moved further from the optics head, the perception of where the instruments are located becomes confusing, relative to the target anatomy.
DEPTH OF FIELD--As the anatomy is viewed through the optics head, a fixed depth of field exists, that is, objects in front of and behind the viewed anatomy, are out of focus. This causes the surgeon to lose information relating to potential hazards as well as landmarks.
The need clearly exists to improve the quality of imaging for minimally invasive surgery.